Go Away With ... Caitriona Balfe

Shooting her series Outlander in Scotland has been a dream come true for actress Caitriona Balfe.

Shooting her series Outlander in Scotland has been a dream come true for actress Caitriona Balfe. (Michael Segal)

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content AgencyCelebrity Travel by Jae-Ha Kim

Born in Monaghan, Ireland, a resident of Los Angeles and currently working around Glasgow, Scotland, actress Caitriona Balfe says she can relate to her time-traveling character, Claire Randall, in the Starz series "Outlander." "I've lived in Los Angeles and New York for long periods of time," says the 34-year-old actress. "And now I'm in Glasgow. It's not like having different lives in each place, but each is unique. The country is a key character in the series. The Scottish Highlands are incredible. There seems to be magic and poetry everywhere."

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. Post Ranch in Big Sur, California. I first discovered Post Ranch Inn when my best friend came to see me when I first moved to Los Angeles. He had just broken up with his boyfriend and we took an emergency break-up trip to Big Sur. It was probably a strange choice to stay there as it is so romantic, but it's also such a restorative place -- very healing. I've since gone a few times on more appropriate romantic getaways.

Q. To someone who was going there, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?

A. Mongolia. I saw a documentary on the Naadam festival that happens in Mongolia during the summer. One of the features of it is a horse race across the plains that all the young men enter -- some as young as 12 years old. It's such a spectacular sight. It's incredible to think that this is a tradition that has been going on for centuries. That's one of the reasons I hope to travel there, and also just because it is such a stunningly beautiful place.

Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?

A. I didn't start traveling abroad until I was 17, but I spent many summers on the beaches of Donegal in Ireland.

Q. What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

A. Keep an open mind; don't overschedule. Try and find out info and spots to visit from the locals. I have found the Scots very welcoming over the past year. Glasgow has truly become my home away from home.

Q. Where is the most romantic destination?

A. St. John. I'm not much of a resort person, but I went on a trip once to the Caneel Bay resort on St John. Most of the island used to belong to the Rockefellers and now is mainly a national park. The resort is complete unassuming luxury. The snorkeling is fantastic and it's just so quiet and peaceful. There are wild donkeys roaming around. It's just the perfect place to unwind and read.

A. Scotland. Living in Glasgow this past year, which has such a vibrant cultural scene, great music and great food, has been a fantastic experience.

Q. How much of Scotland have you had a chance to explore?

A. I really haven't had time yet to travel far in Scotland. I had four days off over Easter and a friend and I spent some time around Loch Lomond and then visited this picturesque little village called Kippen. It has a great little pub and B-and-B there called the Cross Keys that has traditional Scottish music sessions on Sunday afternoons and fantastic food.

A. Whitehall, a Scottish restaurant in the West Village of New York City, and Sushi Park in L.A. In Glasgow, my faves have become Crabshakk and the Gannet.

Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A. Best vacation: Nepal and Thailand, seeing the Himalayas for the first time. Worst vacation: Being on a boat that broke down in a middle of a storm traveling between Guadalupe and Les Saintes.

Q. Where have you filmed that you traveled back to for vacation?

A. I did some work in Lima a few years back, and returned to Peru and visited Cusco and Machu Picchu. It is such a stunningly beautiful and mystical place. It really is awe-inspiring.

(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at http://www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)